Correspondence
by Amarylle
Summary: A look at the constant correspondence between George and Hermione, once the Weasley twins flee Hogwarts. Romance might blossom between the Prankster and the Prefect, but only time will really tell. I invite you to take on this journey with me, as it promises a lot of fun in a surprising style of letters.
1. George's Letter

**Disclaimer:** The wonderful world of Harry Potter and the canon characters belong to J.K Rowling and I am only borrowing them to write for my and other people's enjoyment, without any intention of profiting from it. I thank this creative lady for blessing us with such a rich ground to build up our creativity on!

* * *

Hermione was sitting on one of the wide window-sills of the Gryffindor Tower, looking outside of the marble framed windows, when she noticed something in the distance.

She blinked a few times and pressed her face against the cold glass surface.

The muggleborn witch had let out an involuntary chuckle at the flying phenomenon making their way towards her. It was the most peculiar owl she had ever seen.

The bird was small in size with comically long ears considering its density. The colour of their feathers was the softest of pale blues imaginable, with white and blue freckles dotted around its beak and its piercing icy blue coloured eyes. As the tiny creature flew closer, she discovered that those freckles indulged the whole body of the owl.

Hermione smiled and opened the window to let the little feathered animal in.

"Do you have something for me?" She asked and the owl ruffled up their feathers in obvious frustration, that made her feel like it was asking _'Would I be here otherwise?'_.

She blushed slightly for the obvious lack of her normal logic and untied the scroll from the bird's leg, looking at it thoughtfully.

The parchment felt soft to the touch and it looked like high quality stationary. The handwriting was cursive, but it didn't look familiar to her, so she slowly unrolled it and guided her eyes over the content.

" _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _I hope you would permit me to do some correspondence with your person, in the hopes of assisting me with a problem of a certain kind._

 _As you know, me and my much less handsome counterpart have recently fled Hogwarts to establish the foundations of our practical joke emporium._

 _We were delighted to receive dozens and dozens of owls with filled out order forms for our Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs and other odds and ends. Some of it were from our own kin, Ron and Ginny, and to no surprise from our generous benefactor, Mr. Potter himself._

 _I hope you enjoyed the showcase of our brilliance at the hour of your exams and took notice of a certain aquatic being, as a compliment of acknowledgement of our favourite Prefect. Which reminds me to ponder the possibility of you taking our future business location by storm and protesting against the indignity of putting our merchandise on the market._

 _I have to admit, that thought makes me and my partner in scheming glory snicker. We have always been quite tickled to get a reaction out of you, but I believe you were well aware of that._

 _Anyhow, I best get to the point._

 _I would like to humbly ask you to keep me and my brother updated on the happenings in Hogwarts and of the well-being of our brother and sister. Apart from writing to our mother once a week, neither of them are too keen on letting the family know about any development in their lives._

 _With our familial connections being a priority, we would also like to inquire about Your and Mr. Potter's circumstances as well. Harry Potter attracts quite a lot of trouble and we know that when he is in danger, You, my wild-haired Lady, are right in the middle of the incidents as well._

 _It would be a disservice to our acquaintance and our curiosity to be kept in the dark._

 _I shall bid you adieu and leave you to your musings._

 _Waiting with bated breath,_

 _George F. Weasley_

 _P.S.: This feathered wonder is my owl, Naia. I must warn you, she is rather eccentric. Please give her a treat before letting her make the long journey home. I bid thou many thanks for that in advance."_

When she finished reading, her chocolate coloured eyes were wide and expressive surprise was reflected in them. Never in a million years would she have imagined that one of the Weasley twins would ask her permission to exchange letters with her.

Furthermore, the manner in which he constructed his request blew her mind. It was very formal, polite and old-fashioned. It went against everything she believed to be true about him and his brother, but it delighted her.

Hermione was fascinated.

She stood up and turned towards Naia. "I will be right back with a treat for you." She said and the female owl looked at her like she understood.

The witch made her way towards her room and picked up the box she kept her treats in for Hedwig and the school owls. On second thought, she went and gathered some fresh parchment, ink and a quill, so she could respond to George's letter, and returned to the Common Room.

"Here you go, thank you for the delivery." She smiled and the owl bobbed her head and for a moment ruffled her feathered wings against her. After that she took the treat in her beak and flew away.

Hermione shook her head and made her way towards her favourite couch to compose a reply.

* * *

 **A/N:** My guilty pleasure is reading Hermione/Weasley twins stories. Those pairings make my heart flutter with the wings of a million butterflies. Furthermore, my favourite twin is undoubtedly George, but I adore Fred as well. This story idea just popped into my head today, so instead of writing a chapter to my Harmony story, I figured I would write this, before I forget. I am not sure how often I will update, but we will see. I hope from the bottom of my heart that I sparked your interests and that you enjoyed reading this. I would be delighted if you let me know your thoughts in a review. Thank you for your time!


	2. Hermione's Response

George was busy cleaning up their newly purchased store space in Diagon Alley, when he heard a soft tap on the window. His lips curved into a lopsided smirk when he noticed the Hogwarts owl.

He was uncharacteristically anxious to receive a response from Miss Granger, which his twin thoroughly teased him for, but it was all in good fun.

Fred was just in time, barging down the narrow set of stairs that was leading up to their apartment, his face turning suspiciously merry at the sight of the bird.

"Oi, brother of mine!" He grinned at his twin. "Did your _love letter_ get a response?" He asked, trying to school his features into an air of seriousness, but at the sight of George's expression he completely lost it and ended up laughing boisterously.

George was staring at his twin, spluttering in indignation, when the owl tapped on the glass window more forcefully to be noticed and finally be relieved from its duties.

"It is certainly _not_ a love letter." He raised an eyebrow and mirrored Fred's expression. "You are the one writing love notes to a certain Miss Johnson, don't think I didn't notice." He teased cheekily, feeling content at the bright blush colouring his other half's face. "Oi, I wish I had a mirror, so you could look at your face! It's as red as your hair." He laughed and that made Fred run back upstairs, most likely to check out the offensive colour on his person.

He eventually let the owl inside and untied the neatly rolled up parchment from its leg. The owl made a disappointed noise, nipped his arm in frustration and flew out.

"Ow." George exclaimed and rubbed the red spot the bird left on his pale skin. "That was one rude owl." He mumbled and made his way towards the counter and sat on top of it, unfolding the parchment that had a particular smell he could swear he smelled somewhere before.

" _Dear Mr. Weasley,_

 _Let me begin with an assertion of astonishment at receiving an owl post from your person. From our less than cordial exchanges, I have assumed that I was persona non grata with the mischievous troublemakers of Gryffindor House._

 _Colour me surprised!_

 _After some thinking over the matter, I have come to the conclusion that I ought to assist you in your endeavor, as you and your family deserve to know how your loved ones are doing, although I would much prefer if the personal details would come from their person. I would like to respect their privacy._

 _You and your brother certainly have the affinity for dramatics. The whole student body of Hogwarts and even most of the faculty was impressed with your explosive performance at driving Umbridge desperate with the desire to punish you. I would rather not touch on the matter of you two ruining my exam, because I am displeased with the lost opportunity to prove myself._

 _I am not surprised that Harry, Ron and Ginny have sent order forms for your products. No matter how much I try, I do not seem to have any influence over them, however my frustration with their behaviour is your business' gain I suppose. I cannot help but wonder though, how is Harry the benefactor of your enterprise?_

 _I have noticed the pale blue fireworks in the shape of an otter, indeed, but I had no clue that it was done to acknowledge my person. Not to slight the kindness of the gesture and the ingenuity of the product, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and my begrudging respect to your spectacular charmwork. However, I do have a question about this strange occurrence. Why an otter? How did you know that my Patronus takes on that shape?_

 _While I cannot condone the act of pranking, and my personality is not exactly the most welcoming to that kind of humour, I am aware that most students are, and in these trying times, everyone could do with some laughter. Furthermore, I always believed that you and your brother are rather clever. Even I am able to recognize the work and creativity that goes into the creation of your chaotic products that you are unleashing on the unsuspecting world._

 _Oh dear Merlin, what have I done? I can just imagine those annoying smirks forming on your faces at the fact that I have just acknowledged your work. Rest assured, I had no intention of feeding your ego! There is absolutely no need to be grinning like a Cheshire cat..._

 _I must agree, I was aware that my antics have amused you. However, I was not amused when you fed your Skiving Snackboxes to first years. For Merlin's sake, Mr. Weasley, you were experimenting on eleven year old children. Do you understand how irresponsible and dangerous that was?_

 _As aforementioned above, I will assist you in telling you about your family, as long as I am not sworn to secrecy and my sense of right and wrong is not wavering with the information._

 _Ronald is not pleasant to be around. He keeps offending me over the most trivial of things. Sometimes I wonder if he is only 'friendly' towards me, because of my friendship with Harry. They are tight as thieves, but when it comes to me, he only really seems to keep me around for my coursework. Otherwise, as far as I am aware he is doing alright._

 _I apologize for writing that about your brother, it was probably inappropiate of me._

 _As for Ginevra, she is currently becoming very friendly with Mr. Corner. I am not sure how they are getting on, but I have not seen her so cheerful in a while. Although, I do have a slight suspicion that, may a certain emerald-eyed wizard pay her the slightest of attention, she would be absolutely delighted._

 _I must thank thee for your interest in Harry's and my well-being as well, but this 'wild-haired Lady' must not bore you with the insignificant details about her person._

 _As for my best friend, he has not been doing well lately. Harry seems to get paler by the day, and his scar has been frequently bothering him. If I may be so bold as to admit something, I am incredibly worried about his well-being and mental health. He has been behaving in an odd manner and I cannot help the feeling that come June, we will be running towards the face of danger once more._

 _I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health._

 _Best regards,_

 _Hermione J. Granger_

 _P.S.: Your owl is beautiful, and she seemed to get along with me just fine. I have supplied her with the owl treats I keep around for Hedwig and the school owls._

 _P. P.S.: May I ask what the 'F.' in your name stands for?_ "

"What's a Cheshire cat?" Asked his twin's voice, startling George, as he realized he was peeking over his shoulder the whole time.

"I have no idea." He said and turned to his twin. "Why are you spying the contents of my letter?" He quipped with a playful raise of his brow. They were both aware it was a joke, as they literally shared everything with each other, they had no secrets between them.

"Because it's my duty to be nosy." He grinned and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I had no idea that Miss Granger had any sort of respect for us and our line of interests." He said quietly.

His twin nodded. He was as surprised as Fred was. It made his heart fill with joy that the bright witch called them clever, but it did not surprise either of them that she chastised them for experimenting on firsties and ruining her exam.

That was such Granger logic.

"Well, let's get back to work, I will reply to this later." He said. He wanted to think about the contents and he knew that he wouldn't have any privacy with Fred around right now, so they got back to cleaning the store and setting up their Potions Lab.

* * *

 **A/N:** My goodness. It is so much fun to write this story. I am hoping I did the interaction between the twins justice. I would like to thank you guys for the reviews, favourites and follows that I have received since last night, it surprised me that the reaction was so positive, I am elated! I hope you will have as much fun reading this, as I had writing it. :) Please don't be shy to share your thoughts in a review, they lighten my day. Thank you!

Oops. Accidentally deleted the chapter, when I just wanted to modify a few words, so I am uploading it once more. I apologize for the inconvenience!


	3. Another Side Of George

Breakfast was a solemn activity in the Great Hall, as the reign of Umbridge was even more severe, since the twins fled the school. She and her band of idiots, the Inquisitorial Squad, who have sucked up to her, enjoyed tormenting the student body.

Hermione was merely picking at her breakfast, when she heard the noise that was dear to everyone in this room, as it signaled the owls' arrival. She wasn't expecting a reply so soon after she sent hers to George, but she noticed Naia in the mass of feathers, determined to fly towards her.

There was a hint of amusement in her eyes, as the tiny bird zig-zagged through her kind to eventually lend in her bowl of cereal.

Ron looked up with his mouth full of bacon and eggs and looked at Hermione.

"Isn't that George's owl?" He asked, while he proceeded to chew. " _Why_ did she land in front of you?" He reached over to the owl, who looked at him incredulously and scooted closer to the witch. "I am sure that she just didn't aim right. I see that's one of Mum's baked sweets packages, no doubt this is for me." He insisted and tried yanking it off of the bird's leg.

"Ron! Stop it! You are hurting Naia." Hermione said, spluttering in frustration and swatted at the red-haired wizard's arm. "Also, please spare the rest of us and do not chew and talk at the same time. It's gross." She frowned and gently caressed a spot behind the owl's white fluff tufted ears. She responded in a delighted bob of her head, nuzzling against her arm.

Harry looked at her with curiosity in his eyes.

"Why does George's owl seem to be so comfortable around you, Mi?" He asked, as his eyes went back and forth between his best friend and the tiny feathered creature. They seemed cosy.

Hermione blushed softly at the intensity of his gaze and proceeded to untie Naia's load from her leg. "Well, he has sent me an owl a few days ago and..." She was about to continue when her impulsive friend interrupted her.

"Why on earth would _George_ send you an owl? That makes no sense, whatsoever. You guys _hate_ each other!" Ron muttered under his breath angrily. He did not like it that his brother had written to the girl he had a crush on. She was supposed to be his, no matter that he had no intention of actually showing any interest.

Hermione froze as his words had hurt her feelings. She steeled herself, and gave a piece of bacon to Naia. "Thank you for the delivery." She said and the owl nipped her nose playfully, then took the bacon in her beak and flew away.

She picked up the box and the scroll of parchment and turned towards her friends. "We don't hate each other, _Ronald_ , and it is absolutely _none_ of your business." She gritted between her teeth and turned to Harry, her eyes softening. "I will talk to you later." She promised and hurried out of the Great Hall before anyone could stop her.

Ron was yelling some words at her, but she did not pay attention. She rushed past Lavender and Parvati, who were looking at her with curiosity and fled up to the Gryffindor Tower. She has sat on her bed and cast a plethora of privacy charms around her.

Hermione inspected the carefully wrapped box and opened it. What she found in there smelled sinfully delicious. She was certain that Mrs. Weasley was responsible for such gorgeous baked goods. She tried resisting tasting the cookies, as she wanted to read the letter first, to no avail. Therefore she took a light coloured cookie from the rich pile and bit into it, letting out a soft sigh of pleasure as it tickled her taste buds.

After a few more bites, she grabbed the scroll, carefully unrolled it and laid on her bed over her stomach to read it.

" _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _I am wounded that you have assumed we would grant you persona non grata status with our person. You are highly regarded in the Weasley family. I promise you that something as scandalous as that would never happen!_

 _Oh, Miss Granger, are you insinuating a desire to be pranked? We could most certainly colour you in so many different shades that the Rainbow would hide in shame._

 _We will take that as a compliment! I wish we could have seen her face, right as we fled the Hogwarts castle. Unfortunately we only got a glimpse of her reaction to our fireworks display, although that was priceless. Do you suppose anyone have taken pictures?_

 _Only Hermione Granger would feel displeased about a lost opportunity to finish her exams. I assure you, dear lady, that you would have gotten an Outstanding and then some, have we allowed you and your classmates to focus on the task at hand. Furthermore, your class will have a replacement test in place by the end of the school year, as it is necessary for your Ordinary Wizarding Levels._

 _Naturally, you do hold an influence over your friends, as seen by all of their improving grades, however you cannot expect to change their personality to one that would please you. How would you react if they wanted to manipulate your time with your beloved books? I can just imagine the horror on your face thinking about that scenario. For Mr. Potter and my siblings, having fun and enjoying jokes and pranks is as much a part of their personality as enjoying reading and getting smarter by the second is a part of You._

 _Mr. Potter is the benefactor of our enterprise, as he supplied us with the galleons to start our business venture. At the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he felt the prize money he received from his victory was tainted and he offered it to us, saying that we could use it more than he. We were humbled by his kindness and generosity and even though he has absolutely no idea about this, he is going to be our silent partner._

 _Please keep that a secret._

 _I am astonished that you have no idea about how we were aware of the shape of your Patronus. Were you so distracted that you have not noticed we were part of the secret club you organized for us to learn Defense? We saw the difficulty you had over the practice of the spell and wanted to do something nice for you, although knowing that you did not realize that we knew, somewhat dampens the grandeur of the gesture._

 _Miss Granger, you astound us! Never in our wildest dreams would we ever even dared imagine that The Brightest Witch Of Our Generation would compliment our cleverness. Fred and I are surprised and delighted to our very core with this revelation!_

 _I must admit, with our ego beaming, twin smirks might have appeared on our handsome faces, as we read that the prim and proper, rule-abiding Prefect of Gryffindor House approves of our brilliance. On the other hand we are saddened to admit that we have absolutely no idea what a Cheshire cat is. Would you care to enlighten us? We are most curious about what we have been compared to._

 _It was our pleasure to rile you up and attempt to coax you out of the shell of your decorum. With a tinge of regret, we must admit that we should not have experimented with children as young as first years, however we have gotten carried away by our excitement. Rest assured that we took every precaution to avert possible disaster befalling them, and we have tried each product on ourselves to edge out the majority of the kinks. We have also paid our volunteers and gave them an assortment of Honeydukes' finest chocolate for their time._

 _I hope that this difference of opinion will not cast a shadow on our character in your lovely eyes._

 _We have not experimented on anyone since you have threatened to tell on us to Mum. That was a move of sheer genius. If there is one person that scares the daylight out of even Bill and Charlie, that is our beloved Mother. She can be downright terrifying if she gets in the mood._ _Please do not tell her that I have written this about her, as she would skin me alive and throw me to the Garden Gnomes, or send me to Romania to be Dragon food, traumatizing poor Charles._

 _We whole-heartedly thank you for your assistance in keeping our family updated with the lives of Ron and Ginny. Our mother sends her appreciation and a box of baked goodies as her thanks. I shall send that with this letter to you. You are very lucky, I smell her cinnamon chocolate chip cookies and those are always heavenly._

 _...I hope you do not mind, but Fred and I both nicked one. Oops."_

Hermione couldn't help but burst out in a fit of giggles at this point. This part of the letter was both amusing and adorable. She took a deep breath and read on.

 _"I am most disappointed in Ron at reading your update on him. It is one thing to playfully tease a friend, but another to out-right bully them about their characteristics, especially ones that get him through the school year. On his behalf, I hope you accept my deepest apology for his behaviour._

 _Ginevra is getting friendly with Mr. Corner, is she? I am not sure if I can entertain the idea of my baby sister getting cosy with a boy. What do you know about him, Miss Granger? Does he treat our Ginny with the respect and kindness she deserves, or do we have to storm the school and give him a firm talking to? And by we, I mean the whole of the male Weasley population. I am not sure that she is fully aware, but all of us dote on her. Her favourite brother is Bill, but we all keep a fond eye out for her. Being the sole female Weasley in a line of seven children made her be our little Princess. I know I would be much more comfortable if she either was not interested in boys yet, or she would attempt dating someone we personally know would do right by her. The family would certainly support the idea of Mr. Potter and her being together some time in the future._

 _Miss Granger, you are certainly not insignificant! Must I remind you how dear your person is to our family? We would like to know more about you, as we barely scraped the surface, though._

 _What you shared about Mr. Potter is most alarming. Have you thought about alerting Headmaster Dumbledore? I do not like the fact that you believe he is behaving in an odd manner and I much rather you three stayed out of trouble this year. Merlin knows you had enough misadventures over the years..._

 _May this letter find you in good health and a cheerful disposition!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _George F. Weasley_

 _P.S.: I thank thee for taking such good care of Naia. She returned to me in high spirits. May I ask you to share the name of the treat that you offered to her? I have a suspicion that she liked it._

 _P. P.S: I am delighted to enlighten your curiosity. The F. in my name stands for Fabian in tribute of one of my Mother's twin brothers. Fred has the middle name of Fabian's twin brother, Gideon. We were honoured to be named after another generation of twins._ "

Hermione was once more surprised that she was discovering a side of the Weasley twins that she did not think existed. She had come to the sad realization, that she did the very same thing that she detested people doing. She had judged George and Fred Weasley before really getting to know them.

She sat up, letting the parchment fall from her hands, as she leaned against the comfort of her pillows. She felt rather guilty with forming an opinion on them, based solely on an aspect of life that she did not condone, but that did not mean she was right.

She sighed and looked up at the enchanted curtains of her bed, watching the charmed roses and lilies bloom on the soft red and golden material.

Hermione had to admit that the George Weasley who sent this owl post to her, was clever, kind and surprisingly mature and she had no idea how to process this.

She needed time to think, so she decided that she wouldn't reply for a few days.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, well, well. It's not every day that The Brightest Witch Of Her Age admits that she was wrong about something. I like the way that Hermione nudged George towards realizing he and Fred were wrong about some things, and I especially like the way how they admit to it, but then George also helps Hermione realize her own shortcomings. I really like the way I am building this up. I also sneaked some Harry and Ron into this chapter. Before posting any of this story, I briefly pondered the possibility of just posting letters, but as I would like them to eventually meet and write face-to-face chapters as well, apart from their correspondence, I decided against it. I would also like to thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites and even that surprising community addition. I appreciate it, and I hope you will enjoy this chapter as much, as I enjoyed writing it!


	4. Pining for Miss Granger

George was sitting at the kitchen table, at the Burrow, sighing heavily, with a frown on his face. More than a week had passed, since he had last heard from the lovely Miss Granger, and the lack of reply from her was frustrating him to no end.

 _Was it possible that he offended her?_

He was trying to recall the contents of his letter, but his memory failed him, and the Weasleys weren't wealthy enough to own a _Pensieve_ , thus he could not go over the exact sequences of writing the letter.

The redheaded wizard banged his head against the wood, and groaned out loud, much to his twin's amusement, who was leaning against the door-frame, quietly watching him stew in his misery.

"If I did not know any better, I would assume you _fancy_ Miss Granger, Georgie." He chuckled softly, as he sat on the table, gazing down at his downtrodden brother.

George's eyes widened, and his face flamed with heat rushing his cheeks. "I absolutely do _not_ like her!" He sputtered. " _No, no, no!_ " He emphasized.

"Your face tells me otherwise, Mr. _I protest way too much_ Weasley." Fred grinned teasingly. "You have been sulking around the shop and our room, like a lovesick puppy, who was kicked by their precious adoring owner."

"If you say another word, I am going to hex you into oblivion, brother mine." He scowled, and reached for his wand, twirling it between his fingers.

His twin's grin only widened, as he quickly jumped off the table, and sat next to George, looping an arm around his shoulders. "Chin up, twin'o'mine. I am certain that your bookish Miss Granger is merely swamped with revising, after all this is her O.W.L. year." He said soothingly.

"She is most definitely _not_ mine." George hissed, but his shoulders slumped.

Fred chuckled good-naturedly. "But would you like her to be?" He asked in a gentle voice. "I know we egg each other on about these things, but if you genuinely like her, I will support you." He said seriously.

His brother's eyes snapped to his face warily, studying him for any tell-tale signs of mischief.

"Gred, if this is your idea of a _prank_..." He whispered sourly. "It would be tasteless, even for you."

Fred reeled back at that, hurt flashing his eyes. "What do you take me for? I might tease you, but I would never purposefully upset you, especially about something as delicate as fancying a bird."

George winced at his twin's expression. "I am sorry," He pleaded softly. "It's just..., she's just..." He sighed wistfully.

The other wizard's eyes softened at his expression, then he grinned. "I think we should talk to Bill and Charlie about this. I mean, we never seriously considered witches before, as our joke shop was always in the forefront of our minds, but they were very popular with the ladies at Hogwarts."

His other half groaned. "Don't you think that they have better things to do than give their little brothers dating advice? And I am not saying that I even want to date Miss Granger, mind you," He added hastily. "Our brothers are having the time of their lives traipsing around the world, breaking curses, and handling fire-breathing dragons, I don't think they even have time for this..."

Fred sighed at the stubbornness of George. "Now you are just being ridiculous, Forge. They are our brothers, and they would drop anything for the sake of their family, I know that, _you know that_ , besides just imagine all the material they will have for teasing us. It's Weasley sibling code to amuse ourselves at the expense of our brothers and sister." He chuckled. "They will adore that, but they will also take this seriously and give us good advice. Really, don't you prefer their input to say... our Mother's? She will see wedding-bells before you even gather enough courage to tell the witch you like her." He snorted.

"Do you even hear yourself?" George asked incredulously. "Why would you willingly give our brothers ammunition to tease us? _Are you barmy, brother mine?_ "

"I am exactly as sane, as you are-"

"...that doesn't make me feel any better. We are both certifiably insane-"

"No, we are simply chaotic, there is a difference between mischievous and lunatic-"

"Is there really? You cannot say that people haven't called us out on our insanity yet-"

"For Merlin's sake must you be so difficult today?"

"Must you insist on making my life difficult with your ridiculous suggestions?"

"I am merely looking out for you, Georgie. The first step in getting you your witch is admitting you fancy her." Fred sighed.

George ran his hand through his flaming red hair and groaned loudly. "Fred, must you drive me completely bonkers? I DO NOT FANCY MISS GRANGER AND I NEVER WILL." He shouted, thoroughly irritated.

Fred suddenly had a light in his eyes. "Then you won't care that there is a Hogwarts owl tapping on the kitchen window, will you?"

George jumped up from the kitchen stool so quickly, it crashed to the floor. He spun around his heels, looking at the window, his eyes searching for the owl, while his twin was losing his marbles all over the floor. His expression darkened, when he realized his twin was simply teasing him, and there was no letter waiting for him to read.

Fred, sensing the extreme mood change in his twin, quickly stood up and darted for the door.

"FRED GIDEON WEASLEY!" George bellowed, grabbing his wand and chasing him through the door. "Didn't you just promise not to make fun of me on purpose?"

"I am not making fun of you, I am trying to make you see that you fancy Miss Granger. You cannot say that this behaviour of yours is not peculiar otherwise." Fred chimed in a sing-a-song voice, that he copied from Luna Lovegood, as he was chased around the coffee table by an angry redheaded missile.

" _FINE..._ " George shouted, and paused. " _Fine._ " He repeated. "I _do_ like Hermione. Are you happy now?" He frowned, and walked away from his twin. He wanted to be alone.

George fumed inwardly at Fred forcing this issue, and angrily stomped outside, flopping down on the fragrant grass by the pond-side. He wasn't ready to admit to himself, let alone anyone else, that he had recently started to see Hermione Granger in another light.

Ever since he saw her in her Yule Ball attire, he looked at her differently, and noticed her natural beauty, even when she was merely adorned in a Hogwarts uniform. Her kindness and compassion warmed his heart, and her intelligence intrigued him. He wanted to pick her brain on _Advanced Transfiguration_ , _Advanced Potions_ , and _Advanced Charms_ , and he wanted to go over some challenging _arithmetic equations_ with her, to see if he had got them right.

He sighed, laying down on the grass and staring at the clear sky above him.

"Georgie," Fred called out to him softly, as he tracked him down, and dropped down next to him.

"Go away..." His twin muttered under his breath.

His brother snorted. "You are not getting rid of me, when you so clearly need me to talk about this." He explained, and sighed. "Look, I am sorry if I made you angry, but you did not have to be the one living with a scowling, dangerously bubbling about-to-explode cauldron the past couple of days."

"I am not a bloody exploding cauldron- "

"Oh yes, _yes_ you are."

"Nah-ah."

" _Yah-ah!_ "

"No, I am not!" George mumbled grumpily, but he knew that his twin was right. "Alright, I _might_ have been a bit touchy lately-"

"A _bit_? It was like living with _Snape_ -"

"How dare you compare me to the dungeon-bat of Hogwarts?" George asked, completely scandalized.

Fred grinned. "Now-now don't you fret, I know you are jealous of the billowing robes, and the authoritative voice, but with the proper amount of practice, I am sure you will eventually have that down." He quipped, and jumped up to move out of the way of a _Stinging Hex_.

George narrowed his eyes and brandished his wand, firing a light _Stinging Hex_ at his twin for his cheek, before chasing him across the back yard, seeking some hearty justice, and eventually pushing his brother into the pond.

Fred was gasping for air, as George laughed merrily at his expense.

"That is what you deserve for being a prat, brother mine." He grinned heartily.

Freddie didn't have the heart to be mad at his twin, as this was the first genuine grin and laugh that he had in a week. "Alright-y-o, you win this round, but don't think for a second that I won't retaliate!" He promised.

George chuckled. "You say that like it's news."

"I am just giving you fair warning." He snickered, and got out of the water, his eyes widening slightly as he spied the Hogwarts owl behind his brother. He grinned. "You should look behind you, brother mine, there is a Hogwarts owl waiting for you."

"Really? Don't you think that's a _lame_ attempt?" He raised a brow.

"But-"

"I mean, you just warned me that you would exact retribution-"

"Georgie, that's not what-"

"Do you seriously think I am so gullible that I would fall for this?"

"But I am not trying to prank you, Georgie." Fred sighed exasperatedly, and walked up to George, grabbing his shoulders, and turning him around. "There you go, you nitwit." He chuckled.

George's expression was priceless. He had a mix of shock and sheer elation reflected in his eyes. He grabbed the owl, and hugged it to him, jumping around like a three year old, doing a happy little jig. " _She wrote, she wrote, she wrote me back_!" He sang merrily, which sent Fred into hysterical laughter.

The barn owl hooted angrily, and pecked at his jaw irritably. George froze, and quickly untied the little owl's load. "Sorry." He said sheepishly.

The bird pecked his fingers for good measure, and flew away.

The lanky wizard sat on the grass cross-legged, and pulled the letter and the shrunken package that came with it into his lap. He ignored the wrapped parcel for now, and carefully unrolled the parchment, his eyes greedily trailing over Hermione's written words.

" _Dear Mr. Weasley,_

 _..._ "

* * *

 **A/N:** I shall dangle this cliff-hanger in front you lovely readers, because I am evil.

I hope the chapter was worth the wait. Thank you for being patient with me and my Muse, and thank you for reading.


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